Hamilton Pan Europ Watch Hands-On

In 2011 when the original [new] Hamilton Pan Europ watch was released, it was also the debut of the H-31 movement which was an exclusive for Hamilton by sister company ETA (both are under the Swatch Group umbrella). Based on a historic Hamilton watch design from 1971, the 2011 Pan Europ features a lovely blue dial and was limited to just 1,971 pieces.

Aside from a cheap looking faux-alligator strap, the Pan Europ was a big sales success. Hamilton decided to release some new versions of the Pan Europ for 2012, and they even made our Baselworld 2012 top 10 watch list. Like many pieces, covering the Pan Europ in more depth slipped through the cracks so here is a look at the new non-limited versions of the Hamilton Pan Europ.

What is different about these versions of the Pan Europ? The dial colors are different and they finally get a legitimate looking strap that you don't have to swap out right away. The non-limited version also has a display versus solid caseback. Before discussing the watch, let's briefly discuss the H-31 (H31) automatic movement. ETA modified a Valjoux 7750 chronograph to offer 60 versus about 42 hours of power reserve. This was done by lowering the frequency of the balance wheel to 3 versus 4Hz, and by possibly increasing the size of the mainspring barrel. To be honest, you ideally want a watch with the highest frequency possible for the sake of accuracy. Thus, the H-31 is logically going to be a bit less accurate over time than most 4Hz movements. But few people buy mechanical watches for accuracy. For 2013, Hamilton again used the H-31 in the beautiful Khaki Pilot Pioneer Auto Chrono watch.

The Pan Europ comes in a 45mm wide almost tonneau-shaped case with a round dial. The design is common to many sport and dive watches of the 1970s. It looks great on the wrist and the panda-style coloring on the dial with the red accents makes it an instant classic. The dial design is honestly not that novel, but rather a very clever assortment of existing elements arranged into an overall very satisfying design.

Dial depth is visually pleasing as the sloped flange ring is cut with the applied hour markers. Squared hands are classic and easy to read while a good level of lume coats the dial. Around the dial is a rotating diver's style bezel. My preference is the mostly black dial (ref. H35756735), but there is an equally nice version of the Pan Europ with a mostly silver dial (ref. H35756755). Symmetry and traditional class make the Pan Europ a great looking sport watch. A unique model, we love that Hamilton continues to produce interesting watches such as this at relatively fair prices. The Hamilton Pan Europ retails for $1,945. hamiltonwatch.com

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Fueled by an unshakable love for horology and a general curiosity for intricate things, Ariel Adams founded aBlogtoWatch in 2007 as a means of sharing his passion. Since then, ABTW has become the highest trafficked blog on luxury timepieces, and Ariel has become a contributor to other online publications such as Forbes, Departures and Tech Crunch, to name just a few. His conversational writing style and inclusive attitude brings a wider appreciation for watches the world over, and that's just the way he likes it.
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Decent looking but perhaps not compelling enough to buy one. The price does seem fair for a 7750 based watch from a major Swiss brand. i appreciate that it has a rotating bezel but the hands make not cut it for an actual dive watch, so this seems more like a desk diver (or a watch with elements selected for marketing appeal) than a real tool diver watch. No mention of screw down crown/pushers or water resistance, so I guess this is not being marketed as a diver at all. But then I’m OK with ‘diver bezels’ on non-diver watches.

BIGCHRONO

MarkCarson It seems the watch is water/pressure resistant to 10 Bar (330 feet), so it could be used as a diver for nostalgic purposes.

Lesthepom

A bit ordenery looking if you took the name of the face it could have come from a number of different makers and the strap looks like an afterthought maybe a nicely fitted bracelet would have finished it better